The weather will be warmer and you may be in for a bigger astronomical show for the first weekend in May, when the Eta Aquarids meteor shower comes to a slice of sky near you.

It may be lesser-known than the Perseid, Geminid or Lyrid meteor showers, but it still could be well worth your effort to view.

Why do they call it the Eta Aquarids?

The meteors will appear to come from a point in the sky — called the radiant — that originates in the constellation Aquarius.

One of the brightest stars in the constellation, also known as the water bearer, is Eta Aquarii. Since the meteors appear from this area of the constellation, they're named the Eta Aquarids.

In mid-northern latitudes, such as Indiana, you should be able to see the constellation in the southeast before dawn on May mornings.

However, it's important to note that the constellation is not the source of the meteors; it only serves as a viewing guide for stargazers.

Where do the Eta Aquarids come from?

The meteors are actually a stream of litter, or space debris, that have spun off from one of the most-recorded comets of all time: Halley's Comet.

We can view that space dust as a "shooting star," when the Earth crosses the orbit of such a comet and the small rocks spun off from the comet's nucleus burn up in the friction of our atmosphere.

This dust from Halley's Comet actually causes two meteor shows each year: the Orionids, which appear to originate from near the constellation Orion (The Hunter), are set to peak on Oct. 22-23 this year, according to Space.com.

Even though the comet itself only swings by the Earth once every 75 years or so, the Earth's orbit crosses paths with its debris several times a year.

Halley'e Comet swings by the Earth only once every 75 or 76 years, but dust it has left behind crosses our paths several times a year.(Photo: Photo: ESA/Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research)

Why is this meteor shower special?

Under the best conditions, the Eta Aquarids can deliver up to 40 meteors per hour — nearly a meteor a minute at its peak. However, in the Northern Hemisphere that could drop considerably to about 10 meteors per hour.

The meteors also will be traveling very fast when they enter the Earth's atmosphere — at about 44 miles per second, or about 158,000 miles per hour, according to NASA.

Although this particular meteor shower is of medium brightness, NASA comet expert Bill Cooke told Space.com, one particular condition should make for better viewing this year: There should be no light interference from the just-past full moon, leaving inky black skies as a backdrop.

It can take as long as 15-20 minutes for your eyes to adapt to lower-light conditions of the early-morning sky.

The radiant won't get very high above the horizon for viewers in the northern hemisphere, so it might take you a little time to spot the meteors.

Meteors often arrive in spurts, so you'll have to be observant, and patient.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is the first of two showers that occur each year as a result of Earth passing through dust released by Halley’s Comet.(Photo: NASA)

What's the best way to view the meteors?

You don't need any special equipment, such as a telescope or powerful binoculars. Your naked eye will do just fine.

However, if you focus on only the gradiant, you might miss some of the longer meteors streaming across the sky. Instead, try lying on your back and look straight up to give yourself the widest view, Cooke told Space.com.

Who will have the best view of the Eta Aquarids?

People who live in the Southern Hemisphere will have the best view of all and residents of countries along the equator also will have excellent views.

Because viewing in the Northern Hemisphere won't be as easy, you'll want to find a dark spot with a clear southern horizon to get the most of your experience.